HUNTING METHODS OF AMMOPHILA 



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phila quarters the ground and thick forests of herbage 

 for caterpillars. Having found one she attacks at 

 once, and tries to bite and to sting it. The caterpillar, 

 however, flings itself about, strives to gain cover and 

 repulse its foe, not infrequently, it would seem, with 

 success. But on occasion the wasp succeeds in 

 gripping the larva, and then standing high on her 

 legs, and disregarding the struggles of her victim, 

 she curves her abdomen under it and plunges 

 her sting. The caterpillar instantly collapses. For 

 some moments the wasp remains still. Then with- 

 drawing her sting she plunges it into two more inter- 

 segmental grooves, each time nearer to the head, then 

 she circles above it, and again descends and repeats 

 the assault nearer the tail of the larva, stabbing it 

 four times more. The attack over she pauses, cocks 

 up her tail, washes and rubs her face thoroughly and 

 completes her toilet. Her next task is to drag the 

 heavy prey to the nest. Holding it with her teeth and 

 forelegs she passes rigidly over rough ground, standing 

 corn, or garden plot, where there is nothing to suggest 

 the right direction. Yet over all this, for sixty 

 feet or more, she travels without hesitation, pauses, 

 lays her burden down, and presently removes a stone 

 or two and reveals the nest ; then hurriedly returning 

 to the caterpillar she picks it up and takes it to the 

 burrow. There she drops it and, backing in, catches 

 it with her mandibles and disappears. When the 

 caterpillar is secured a single egg is attached to its 

 skin, and then the Ammo phila goes out again hunting 



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